AFC Bournemouth have submitted an unsuccessful official bid for Porto forward Evanilson, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Cherries have a gaping hole in their attacking ranks following Dominic Solanke’s £65million move to Tottenham Hotspur. They put forward an offer to Porto for their star striker, but it has been rejected.
Evanilson enjoyed a prolific campaign last season with 25 goals for the Portuguese giants and has attracted interest from several clubs.
Nottingham Forest, like Bournemouth, have also seen an offer for the Brazilian rejected. The 24-year-old has established himself as a crucial player for Porto and earned two caps for his country.
The former Fluminense centre-forward has grown in stature in Portugal, amassing 60 goals and 21 assists in 154 appearances.
His impressive performances saw him linked with a move to the Premier League before, with Arsenal reportedly considering a bid earlier this year.
However, it remains to be seen whether Bournemouth can meet Porto’s valuation of the striker. Evanilson is believed to have a €64 million clause, which could be a stumbling block for the Cherries.
With Enes Unal currently sidelined through injury, Bournemouth are desperately short of options up front. Daniel Jebbison is the only other senior striker in the squad. The club hopes to strengthen their attacking options before the transfer window closes.
While the initial bid has been rejected, Bournemouth will likely explore other avenues to secure Evanilson’s signing.
With competition for the Porto striker heating up, the Cherries face a challenging task in landing their top target.
Bournemouth have already signed Luis Sinisterra and Unal permanently following their loan spells before acquiring promising centre-back Dean Huijsen from Serie A giants Juventus.
Also, exciting New Zealand goalkeeper Alex Paulsen put pen to paper, joining from Wellington Phoenix before heading out on loan. Jebbison signed on a free transfer.
However, the Dorset-based outfit still has a couple more holes to plug if they want to build on their exciting and record-breaking 2023/24 campaign.
